Villa Myriam Coffee

Villa Myriam Coffee is a family-owned roasting operation based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, established by brothers Juan and David Certain. The company’s roots trace back to 1961, when the brothers' grandfather founded the original Villa Myriam plantation in Piendamó, located in the Cauca region of Colombia. This region is widely recognized as one of the country’s most significant zones for specialty coffee production, providing the foundational source for the company’s direct-trade model.

The brothers launched their wholesale coffee business in Albuquerque in October 2010. Initially, they utilized the South Valley Economic Development Center’s commercial kitchen to roast and package their beans. This move allowed them to bring their family’s agricultural heritage to the United States, effectively creating a direct pipeline from their Colombian hacienda to the New Mexico market. This vertical integration is a defining characteristic of their business, distinguishing them from many other roasters who rely solely on third-party importers.

In practice, Villa Myriam operates as the U.S.-side endpoint for their family’s farming efforts. By maintaining control over the supply chain from the farm to the final roast, the company emphasizes a connection to their Colombian origins. This model allows them to offer single-origin Colombian coffees that reflect the specific terroir of the Cauca region, while also sourcing and roasting other global origins to round out their product offerings.

Beyond their Colombian roots, the company has established a physical presence in Albuquerque, operating a roastery and coffee shop that serves the local community. Their menu features a variety of roasts, ranging from light, citrus-forward profiles to darker, more traditional options. The company has become a notable fixture in the local coffee scene, often cited for its authentic connection to the source and its role as a Latino-owned business in the region.

The company’s sourcing philosophy centers on the direct relationship between the family farm and the roastery. This approach is intended to ensure quality control and maintain the integrity of the coffee from the harvest to the cup. By managing the roasting process in-house, the brothers aim to highlight the distinct characteristics of their beans, which they describe as being rooted in tradition and craftsmanship.

Villa Myriam’s story is one of generational continuity, where the professional lives of the founders are inextricably linked to their family history. While the company has expanded its reach through wholesale and retail channels, its identity remains anchored in the Cauca plantation. For the consumer, this provides a transparent link to the producer, as the roasters are the same individuals who oversee the cultivation of the coffee at the family estate.